Tenter clip



C. H. WEBER TENTER CLIP Dec. 29, 1936;

Original Filed Jan. 30, 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Dec. 29, 1936. c EBER I 2,065,913

- TENTER CLIP Original Filed Jan. 50, 1933 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 C. H. WEBER TENTER CLIP Dec. 29, 1936.

3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Original Filed Jan. 30, 1933 Patented Dec. 29, 1936 UNITED STTES TENTER CLIP Charles H. Weber, Newark, N. J assignor to John E. Peterson, Irvington, N. J.

Application January 30, 1933, Serial No. 654,284 Renewed June 25, 1936 13 Claims.

-My invention relates to a new and novel tenter clip, and an important object of my invention is to provide a tenter clip which will not cut or tear the cloth either when first engaging the cloth, while holding the cloth, or when releasing the cloth.

It is also an important object of my invention to provide a tenter clip structure wherein the clip and the associated chain linkage are positively lubricated.

It is also an important object of my invention to provide in a tenter clip of the type described. a new and novel link structure.

It is also an important object of my invention to provide in a tenter clip structure of the type described, means for conveying to the cloth the steam, hot air, or other cloth conditioning medium, so that the cloth will be adequately conditioned at the point of contact with the tenter clip, so that individual heating means for the tenter clip is rendered unnecessary and the various disadvantages connected with the use of such individual heaters, done away with.

It is also an important object of my invention to provide in a tenter clip structure of the type described means for preventing the dulling of the cloth gripping means, by providing special construction which eliminates the engagement of certain parts, after release of the cloth therebetween, which engagement is the cause of dulling of cloth gripping parts in present tenter clip structures.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent from a reading of the following description in connection with the drawings, wherein for purposes of illustration I have shown preferred embodiments of my invention.

In the drawings:-

Figure 1 is a general side elevational view of the embodiments of my invention.

Figure 2 is a bottom plan view of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a top plan view of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is an elevational view of Figure 1 taken from the left.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the lower movable sharp jaw.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the upper jaw.

Figure 7 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken through Figure 3 approximately on the line 1-1 and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 8 is a vertical transverse sectional View through the link structure showing the lubricating means.

Figure 9 is a horizontal sectional view taken tures which render the clip of my invention superior to any other clip now in use. In all types of tenter clips known to me, use .is made of a movable jaw which coacts with a stationary jaw or plate for holding the cloth therebetween. This movable jaw has its bottom edgemilled to a sharp point to engage the cloth and hold it. As long as this sharp point or edge remains sharp, the movable jaw does its work fairly well, but when the edge gets dull, the cloth is permitted to slip out of the clip, and this causes serious damage to the cloth. However, even when sharp this movable jaw damages the cloth, since during the action of release of the cloth, this sharp edge describes for an instant an are which is substantially parallel to the straight or stationary jaw, so that the movable sharp jaw tears and cuts into the cloth especially when the cloth is under a heavy tension. In my invention, however, the sharp or holding edge is placed below the cloth and on a member whichiis relatively stationary. The movable member in the invention is the one which has the dull harmless face which is active in the action of release of the cloth.

Other advantages accruing from such an arrangement of the cloth holding members are that the upper movable jaw, that is the dull jaw, may be arranged so as to avoid striking directly the lower sharp jaw at any time simply by adjusting means which limits the downward swing of the upper dull jaw, whereby to provide between them at all times a space, which when the jaws are in opposition will be of a size which is smaller than the thickness of the cloth. In the invention when the upper jaw descends and strikes the cloth, it is the lower sharp jaw which digs into the cloth. When the tension is applied to the cloth, the lower jaw is caused to move within defined limits, in such a way that the sharp edge thereof rises upwardly and digs progressively deeper into the lower surface of the cloth. With this arrangement no matter what the thickness of the cloth, or the amount .7 heaters for the 'clips.

the heaters are not properly adjusted, and dust of penetration of the sharp edge of the lower jaw, the releasing action of the upper swingable dull jaw can do no damage to the cloth.

The releasing action of the jaws of the device of my invention, and the absence of direct contact between the upper and lower jaws while 'no cloth is therebetween which is present in either types of clips, provide anew combination of advantages.

In tentering or stretching processes wherein tion of the present invention structure is provided'whereby steam 'or hotrair may be applied to the cloth and directly reach every part of the cloth, which'may be loose or held in the clips, and render/unnecessary the use of individual use have had to be preheated by separate gas burners so that enough heat would be present in r the clips to dry the portions of the cloth which are in the grip thereof and which could not otherwise be reached by the hot air. Suchheating does not help when'the steam isapplied, and in fact an opposite undesirable effect is produced. The clip heaters do an immense amount of damage to the clips, especially when the flames'of and soot is caused to collect on the clips, resulting in soiling of the cloth. Such heating of the clips warps them, and any lubricant thereon 'well as the raceway as the same movesin F raceway of the t'entering machine. J

is dried up, and'the expense for gas fuel and upkeep of the heaters also is involved.

' Included in my invention is a'novel arrange' ment and construction ofli'nks whereby I provide. for continuously lubricating theclip structure and linkage construction of my invention as It will be noticed 'inithe 7 following description that the upper movable dull jaw of my clip has" a 'floatingm'ember'which performs some of the functions which are performed by the lower stationary jaw in the old style of tenter clip. I believe that the use of a floating member in the upper jaw, the upper jaw being itself a movable member; is made for the first time by me.

Insome styles of clips, the movable upper jaw hasa fioatingjmember, which is'not a fiat, dull,

relatively stationary member, but'a gripping memberj'.

Referring in 'detail'to'the drawings; wherein like numerals refer to'like parts throughout the same, thenumeral 5 refers generally tothe base or body of the clip which, as shown in Figure 2 is generally rectangular inform and'provided at its back edge with a; projecting bracket 6 having the'upstanding track engaging member I. From the undersideof the base 5 near the back edge thereof depend cylindrical enlargements B,

9 each of which is provided with a vertical bore l0 receiving one of the pins ll of the link structure generally designated 12. Vertically aligned with the cylindrical enlargements 8, are bosses I3 '14 which project upwardly from the top of the base 5 and have portions of the bores extending thereina's indicated at l5, in which portions of, the bores the upper part of the pins H are received. At the front edge of the base 5 Heretofore all clips in.

the

there depends at a forward 'angle a pair of Iongitudinally spaced brackets [6 each of which has 7 an adjustable bearing screw I'l pointed as indicated at I8 at its inner end for engagement in recesses in the oppositeends of the lower swingable cloth gripping jaw 19. The portion of the top of the base 5 extending between the bosses I3, 14 and the forward edge of the base is provided with relatively deep longitudinally spaced transverse grooves 20 to conveythe steam and hot air to those portions of the cloth which may be engaged withthe tenterrclip during the ten tering process and which are not reached by the steam and hot air in ordinary tenter clips, so that no part of the cloth in the clip fails fluid. In this way the heating of each tenter clip individually with a tenter 'clip'heater is rendered unnecessary. The front ends of the grooves 26 'open through the front edge of the direct heating and treating fluid against the rockable jaw member and the adjacent portions of the cloth.

Proceeding generally horizontally and for wardly from the bosses l3, l4 and forming aweb between them, is the bracket 2| which hason its '15 of being adequately reached by the treating a 20 base 5 adjacent the 'jaws of the clip, so as to n front end a pair of spaced lugs 22, 23 in which W is mounted a shaft 24 whose ends project beyond the lugs 22, 23 as particularly well shown in Figure 3.

On the projecting outer ends of the shaft 24 are carried the vertical lugs 25, 26 prof jecting upwardly from the swingable jaw gen erally designatedZl. From a central part of the upper end of the movable jaw 21 projects the vertical arm 28 which has threaded therethrough at an angle an adjusting screw 29 lockable by a lock nut 30 engaging thefront face of the. arm

28. The inner end of the adjusting screw 29 is arranged to abut a projection or abutment formed on the upper side of the bracket 2I.'- 0bviously this arrangement enables adjusting the length of the arc in which the swingable jaw member 21 -may swing in" the direction of" the stationary jaw, thereby enabling predetermining the amount of spacing. of the swingable jaw and stationary jaw when engaged with' the cloth generally designated 32. In dot and dash lines in Figure 1 and generally designated by the numeral is shown the means for bringing the swingable jaw member 21 out of engagement with the cloth 32 so as to release the cloth. In releasing the swingable jaw swings in'a di- "rection to bring the lower part thereof rearwardly and upwardly'away from the stationary W l ber comprises a generally, rectangular plate or body of heavy metallic material which has in its lower edge a vertical slot 35 whose: upper end is sloped upwardly toward the center of the jaw As shown in Figure 4,'the swingable jaw memas shown by dotted lines jinFigure i. Within the slot 35 and swingable in a vertical plane thereis the floating relatively stationary mema ber generally designated 36, the construction of which is shownin detail in Figure '6. This com- 7 prises a vertical relatively narrow plate 31 upon the lower edge of which is a right angularly related flange 38 whose outer edge'terminates in an upwardly angulated short flange 39 which acts as a guard to prevent the member 36 from digging into the'upper side of the cloth which it is adapted to engage while the swingable jaw is in the cloth gripping position shown in' Figure 1. The upper edge of the plate 37 is'provided with a lug 40 which is provided with a hole 4| for receiving the pivot 42 which traverses the swingable jaw centrally and crosses the upperpart of the slot 35 as indicated in Figures 1 and 4. It will be obvious that as the portions 38, 39 of the relatively stationary member 3% strike the cloth 32 when the swingable jaw moves toward gripping position, the floating member 36 will tilt upon its pivot 42 and become aligned as required automatically.

From the back of the lower part of the swingable jaw 21 projects a bearing arm d3 which has an anti-friction bearing M arranged between the divergent arms 55. 46 of a conventional controller generally designated ll which is pivoted as indicated at 48 to the web portion of the bracket 2! as clearly shown in Figures 1 and 7. The lower arm 46 of the controller is adapted to fall into a slot d9 provided centrally through the base 5 under the said controller, when the cloth 32 is withdrawn from under the controller to a position such as that illustrated in Figure 1, wherein the jaw members are fully engaged with the cloth. It will be obvious that as the cloth moves from under the arm 46 of the controller and no longer supports the controller, the controller will drop into the slot &9 and in so doing disengage from and permit the swingable jaw 27 to swing to the full gripping position. The controller ll acts in a conventional manner.

The tiltable member [9 of the lower jaw which is shown in detail in Figure 5 comprises the generally cylindrical body portion 5%, and the upwardly extending sharp edge portion 52 which is generally segmental in cross section and has its opposite ends extending out beyond the ends of the body portion as indicated by the numerals 53. The opposite ends of the body portion 58 are provided with the aligned pivot receiving holes 5| which are eocentrically placed near the front side of the body portion and receive the bearing screws ll so that the body portion has a tendency to rotate toward the base 5. This overbalanced condition of the body portion is suificient to normally position the flat side of the sharp edge portion 52 against the vertical shoulders Ed on the front of the base.

When the cloth 32 is placed on the base 5 under the lower arm 26 of the controller l! so as to support the controller in an elevated position, the swingable jaw 21 will be held by the controller out of engagement with the cloth, and the relatively tiltable member IE will be at rest against the shoulders 54 of the base. However, as soon as the edge of the cloth has moved from this position to one in front of the lower arm 46 of the controller 41, the controller falls into the slot 49 whereby the swingable jaw is permitted to fall and engage its floating member 35 with the top surface of the edge of the cloth which is then resting upon the stationary jaw. This results in pressing the cloth against the sharp upper edge 52 of the sharp member i9 whereby the member I9 digs somewhat into the lower surface of the cloth. Then, as the tension upon the cloth is increased and it moves slightly forwardly from the base 5, the sharp member 19 will be tilted forwardly. Having a slight eccentric pivotal mounting, the sharp upper edge of the tiltable member 59 will be elevated by the forward movement thereof so as to dig harder into the lower side of the cloth and thereby increase the effective grip of the clamp. The enhanced grip is produced by the eccentric movement of the tiltable member 19 of the lower jaw in cooperation with the swingable upper jaw as the cloth is brought between the jaws and the upper jaw brought into operative position in engagement with the upper side of the cloth. As pull is exerted on the cloth in a direction away from the clip, tilting of the jaw member H3 in an outward direction is produced. The jaw member i9 because of its shape and eccentric mounting approaches the upper jaw more closely as this outward tilting takes place thereby obviously increasing the grip of the jaws on the cloth. Notwithstanding this increased grip of the jaws, the jaws may be instantly disengaged from the cloth in such a way that the cloth is completely released and may leave the region of the jaws without making any contacts which would produce tearing or marring cf the cloth. When the cloth is to be released the handle 28 is pushed outwardly, that is, toward the left in Figure 1. This disengages the floating member as from the upper side of the cloth. The cloth is then free to move in a direction away from the jaws and in so doing will tilt the tiltable jaw member l9, which offers no perceptible resistance, to such an outward position that the tiltable jaw member 59 no longer has any gripping or retarding effect upon the lower side of the cloth; whereupon the cloth is completely free of the device.

In most clips when the cloth has been removed from between the jaw members, one jaw member will abut the sharp member of the other jaw so as to dull the sharp member. However, in the present invention the adjusting of the screw 29 enables adjustment of the swingable jaw 21 so that it will never strike the tiltable member of the stationary jaw. The swingable jaw may be adjusted so that the spacing between these jaws may be much less than the thickness of any cloth, but this small spacing of the jaws will be sufficient to prevent engagement of the swingable jaw with the sharp member of the stationary jaw, so that no dulling of the sharp member of the stationary jaw can take place in this manner, while no handicap is placed upon the effective gripping actions of either the stationary or the swingable jaw by having them spaced while in their gripping positions.

In order to provide for practically continuous lubrication of the linkage which carries the clips, I form a link by riveting or otherwise similarly securing to a flat plate 55 the longitudinally spaced pins H. The flat plate is designed to ride on the floor of the raceway or track 55 of tenter frame generally designated 5? in Figure 8. The plate 55 and the pins H are provided with a lubricant passage 55.! which has a lateral branch 59 which empties into a lateral branch 59' of a horizontal recess 60 in the back side of the link block 6! which is received on the pins I! in the manner shown in Figure 8. The lubricant which finds its way into the recess 60 lubricates that portion of the tenter frame which receives the greatest wear. Lubricant is applied to the lower ends of the vertical lubricant passages 58 by a wick 62 suitably mounted as indicated at 63 through the floor of the track 55. It will be obvious that as the links move in the track that lubricant will be fed by the wicks 62 to the lower ends of the vertical lubricant passages 58. This not only oils the underside of the links, but the lubricant rises through the passages 58 and lubricates the pins H, and some of the lubricant passes through the lateral branches 59 and 59 into the recess 60, wheres by the face of the link which has the hardest bearing against the frame of the machine is adequately lubricated.

In Figure 12 is shown an alternative type of link block which is composed of upper and lower plates 64, 65 connected by tubular bearing members 66 which receive the pins II. Instead of a solid block like that shown in Figure 10, the form of link body shown in Figure 12 has rollers 6? mounted. between the plates 64, 65 and turning upon the tubular bearing members 66. This form eliminates a great deal of the friction incidental to the use of the link block form shown in Figure 10.

Although I have shown and described herein preferred embodiments of my invention, it is to be'definitely understood that I do not desire to limit the application of the invention thereto, and any change or changes may be made in the materials and in the structure and arrangement of the parts within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the'subjoined claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is:

1. In a tenter clip, a base having at least a part of its top formed with treating fluid conveying grooves opening at one end through the front edge of the base, a bracket on and overhanging the grooved portion of the base, a movable jaw carried by said bracket and extending downwardly toward the front edge of said base, a tiltable member for engaging the under side of a piece of cloth which is adapted to lie on said grooved portion of the base, said tiltable member extending across and being carried by base portions adjacent said front edge of the base for cooperation with said movable jaw to engage opposite sides of the cloth, at least the base portions carrying said tiltable member being downwardly angulated toward the said tiltable member.

2. In a tenter clip, a base having a pair of spaced ears on its front edge, a tiltable clothongaging member tiltably and eccentrically supported on a horizontal axis by and between said ears, said member being arranged to be tilted to assume an initial erect position in engagement with at least a portion of said front edge, including said ears, said member having a sharp "upper part engageable with the underside of the cloth, a movable upper jaw carried by said base ffor engaging the upper side of the cloth and cooperating with said tiltable member in clamping the cloth, said tiltable member being-arranged to be tilted forwardly out of initial position by forward movement of the cloth engaged therewith so that its sharp upper part rises and digs into the cloth and as the cloth ,is moved farther forward.

3. A tenter clip comprising a base for mounting on a link chain, a bracket on the base having a free end, a jaw oscillatably mounted on said free end of the bracket over said base, a rockably mounted sharpcloth-engaging member carried on said base for engaging the under side of the cloth, said oscillatable jaw having a sharp upper portion for engaging the under.

side, of the cloth, said oscillatable jaw having a floating member arranged for side to side movement for engaging the upper side of the cloth and producing a clamping action cooper ated in by said floating member and said clothengaging member, conventional control means for controlling the swinging of said oscillatable jaw into clamping position, said cloth-engaging member being eccentrically mounted so that its sharp edge is elevated when the cloth engaged therewith is outwardly moved relative to said jaw, thereby increasing the bite of said sharp portion into the under side of the cloth, said floating member presenting a flat bluntsurface to the upper side of the cloth whereby upon release action thereof the surface of the cloth will not be injuricusly contacted.

5. A tenter clip comprising a base for mounting on a link chain, a bracket on the base engaging member positioned on said base for cooperation with said oscillatable jaw and having an upper sharp portion for engaging the under side of the cloth, said oscillatable jaw having a floating member for engagingthe upper side of the cloth and producing a clamping action cooperated in by said floating member and said sharp portion, conventional control means for controlling the swinging of said oscillatable jaw into clamping position, said clothengaging member being eccentrically mounted so that its sharp portion is elevated when the cloth engaged therewith is outwardly moved relative to said jaw and thereby increasing the bite of said sharp portion into the under side of the cloth, said floating member presenting a flat blunt surface to the upper side of the cloth, whereby upon release action thereof the surface of the cloth will not be injuriously contacted, means on said oscillatable jaw-to move it into cloth releasing'position, and means for adjusting the gripping position of said jaw.

6. In a tenter clip having a base for mounting on a link chain, a bracket on the base having a free end overhanging the base, a swingable cloth-engaging jaw carried by the free end of' the bracket, a relatively stationary cloth-engaging member "under said swingable cloth-engaging jaw, and adjusting means carried by said swingable jaw and engageable with a, portion of said bracket for limiting the swing of said swingable jaw toward said relatively stationary member, and preventing contact of said jaws at all times, to eliminate dulling thereof, the swingable jaw having a dull floating member, and the relatively stationary member being tiltable and having a sharp edge. 7

7. 'In a tenter clip having a base mountable on a link chain, a bracket on and overhanging said base, an upper jaw on said bracket, a cloth-engaging member carried by the base below and for cooperation with said upper jaw for engaging opposite sides of cloth on said base for holding the cloth, the top of said base being provided with grooves for receiving and conveying heated conditioning fluid, said grooves being in fluidconveying relation to the under side of said cloth resting on the base.

8. In a tenter clip having a base mountable on a link chain, a bracket on and overhanging said base, a movable upper jaw on said bracket, a relatively stationary member carried by said base below and for cooperation with said upper jaw for engaging opposite sides of cloth on said base for holding the cloth, said base being provided with grooves for receiving and conveying heated conditioning fluid to the cloth on said base, said grooves being formed in the upper side of said base and being in fluid feeding relation to said relatively stationary jaw cooperating member.

9. A tenter clip comprising a base having a bracket carrying a movable upper jaw to assist in gripping a cloth edge with means for moving the jaw into contact with the cloth, said base further having a pair of spaced depending ears at one edge, a tiltable cloth-engaging member carried by and between said ears, the upper part of said member being sharp and elevated above a part of the top of said base, the said ears being downwardly angulated so as to expose the sharp upper part of the tiltable member to cloth on said base to cooperate with said upper jaw to grip the cloth.

10. A tenter clip comprising a base having a bracket carrying a movable upper jaw to assist in gripping a cloth edge with means for moving the jaw into contact with the cloth, said base further having a pair of spaced depending ears at one edge, a tiltable cloth-engaging member carried by and between said ears, said ears having opposed pointed pins mounted therein, engaging depressions in the opposite ends of said tiltable member, portions of said member being arranged to rest normally against partsof said ears when in its initial erect position, said member being arranged to be swung away from the erect position by cloth engaged therewith when the cloth is moved outwardly to cooperate with said upper jaw to grip the cloth.

11. In a tenter clip including a base having a front part carrying a cloth-engaging member, a swingable upper jaw mounted on said base and arranged to come into cooperate relation with said member on opposite sides of a piece of cloth, said upper jaw being provided in its lower part with a slot, a pivot in an upper part of said slot, a plate having a portion located in said slot and carried by said pivot and a rearwardly directed lateral flange portion below said lower part of the upper jaw, said flange being arranged to engage the upper side of the cloth when said upper jaw is in clamping position, said plate being arranged to tilt to one side or the other to compensate for unevenness in the position of the cloth, and the rearward edge of said flange having an upwardly angulated portion arranged to prevent digging of the rear edge of said flange into the cloth as the upper law moves out of clamping position.

12. A tenter clip comprising a base having a pair of spaced ears on its front edge; a tiltable cloth-engaging member eccentrioally mounted in initially erect position by and between said ears said member having a single sharp upper edge for engaging the under side of the cloth, said cloth-engaging member being arranged to be tilted forwardly by forward movement of the cloth so that said sharp upper part rises and digs into the under side of the cloth, and a swingable jaw on said base and engageable with the upper side of the cloth and cooperable with said sharp upper edge in its initial and more elevated positions for holding the cloth.

13. A tenter clip comprising a base having a pair of spaced ears on one edge, a tiltable clothengaging member carried by and between said ears, the upper edge portion of said member being sharp and initially elevated at least above the ears which support it on said base, a remaining part of the top of the base being formed with spaced grooves having one end opening through said one edge so heating and treating fluid may be passed into said grooves into contact with cloth located over the grooves, and an oscillatable jaw carried by the base and having a self-alignable member tocooperate with said tiltable member to grip the cloth as described.

CHARLES H. WEBER. 

